and biblical quotes given in order for anthony to know, and for the bishop to tell him, i will always have your back and you will always have mine. >> in the name of jesus. >> reporter: bishop eddie long built a spiritual empire by sheer force of personality. new birth church had 300 members some 20 years ago. today it has more than 25,000 members. when coretta scott king, the wife of the reverend martin luther king died, her funeral was held in his church. as his prestige has grown, so has his conservative voice in social politics. he once led an anti-gay marriage march in atlanta. >> we're not marching against folks, we are marching folks. and if they don't understand it now, they'll understand it by and by. >> reporter: those who followed his career say bishop long has never shied away from talking about his own personal struggles and faults. that's made him even bigger than life to his spiritual flock. >> john, as soon as this lawsuit was filed, bishop eddie long -- saying we categorically deny these allegations. it is very unfortunate that someone has taken this course of action.